Typhoon Fitow kills at least 6 in China

Typhoon Fitow has killed at least six people and left four others missing in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang, according to the latest tally.

Damage from the storm, which has affected more than 6.3 million people in 11 cities, is estimated at 8.4 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), the provincial flood control office said.

Fitow, which has weakened since making landfall on Monday, has caused some 4,000 houses to collapse, damaged numerous roads and cut power in many towns of the region, China's official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday, adding that water levels at 13 of Zhejiang's 39 medium-sized reservoirs have exceeded warning levels.

The typhoon, the 23rd to batter China this year, made landfall early Monday near Fuding, a city close to the border between Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, packing winds of up to 201 kph (125 mph), although it has weakened as it has made its way north.

High-speed rail service in Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces was suspended due to the torrential rains, while numerous flights in those regions were canceled, officials said.

It is unusual for a typhoon to make landfall in southeast China in early October, with most storms hitting during the summer.

Typhoon Fitow is just the third storm in more than 60 years to make landfall in the region at this time of year, following the pattern of Typhoon Krosa in 2007 and Typhoon Tilda in 1961.

Fitow, named after a flower native to Micronesia, arrived in southeast China just two weeks after Typhoon Usagi battered the region, killing 25 people.

Another storm, Typhoon Wutip, killed at least 10 fishermen - all from south China's Guangdong province, according to Xinhua - and left 50 others missing in the South China Sea late last month. EFE